It Is Only Fate
by WhisperedDarkness
Summary: Four threads, four lives forever entwined. T for blood, death, and swearing


A/N; This is a big project for me. Please send me criticism or advice to help the story along.

~XoX~

Prologue: Prisoner

My head hurt. Faintly I was able to pick out this fact as I swam into a fuzzy state of consciousness. Begrudgingly, I forced my eyes open, only to be met with dizzying orange sunlight. I squinted, to let my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. The source of light was the setting sun, hovering a perfect circle in the barred window. I shifted my eyes down, still not daring enough to shift my sore body. Dank grey stone walls rose up high above me, framing that barred window perfectly 'my house doesn't have stone walls, does it?' I racked my brain for an answer, but couldn't find one. My brain was slow and sluggish, and my memories were broken and diluted. A rough hand, a door, sunshine. Absolutely nothing clear and lucid enough to gather where I was.

"So the new girls alive eh?" A dark gravelly voice called out from behind me, effectively cutting through my thoughts like they were butter. Mustering all the strength and courage I had, I turned to face the source of the voice. There was another, bigger, window, no, a gate, in front of me. A sudden epiphany hit me, I was in jail. The hallway behind the gate was darker than my cell, so I sat there dumbly for the twenty seconds it took for my eyes to readjust. Leaning up against the bars of the cell directly opposite of mine was a lanky, greyish Dunmer. "To go from the gladed realm of Valenwoood, to a rat infested hole like this. Must be a nightmare. Ahh but where are my manners, my name is Valen Dreth, and what, fair elfling, would yours be?" A cruel smile drifted across his face as he spoke the last words, like the sick punchline to an inside joke.

"S Saria," I squeaked, the word pouring out of my mouth, before I could hope to stop it.

"What a pity. I can tell, you would have made such a beautiful woman, Saria..." He paused on my name, just soft and long enough to make me squirm in fright. "Oh yes, that's right! You're going to DIE IN HERE HAHAHA!" His statement dissolved into maniacal laughter. "It feels like the walls are closing in on you eh? You'll go mad in here, and then the guards will have to slit your throat just to stop the ranting!" He slunk to the back of his cage, still laughing that unnerving, almost inhuman laughter of his. Quite suddenly, a heavy grating sound echoed through the otherwise silent cellblock. "HEAR THAT? THE GAURDS ARE COMING, FOR YOU!" Valen screeched from the back of his dark cell. As if on que, rough voices and heavy footsteps filled the silence. Soft torch light flooded the hall, illuminating almost all the cracks and crevices in the hall.

"My sons are dead, aren't they?" A soft, wispy, male voice called out. The footsteps ceased.

"We don't know that, the messenger said only that they were attacked." A female voice answered, reassuring the older sounding male.

"No, there dead, I know it." This was a statement, hints of steel crept into the older sounding voice.

"Well, my duty right now is to get you to safety," the footsteps began again, moving the torchlight closer and closer, until it was directly in front of my cell. The group was slightly lager than I had guessed from my position in the cell. The man that I guessed was the older voice stood in the middle of three strange guards. He was clad in heavy purple and red robes, a stark contrast to the cold silver of the guards' breastplates. There were two other men, one was a fresh faced Redguard, and the other an Imperial with experience etched into his face. Of to the left a bit was the woman, a Breton with dirty blond hair, more boyish looking than her voice lead on.

"Barus, what this prisoner doing in here?" The female demanded, glowering at the Redguard as if to maim him with her eyes.

"Ahh.. Th the usual mix up with the watch...I..." Barus stuttered, with obvious respect for the woman.

"Ah, never mind just get that gate open! And you, stay back up against the window!" She snapped at Barus as though stressed to the limit. He hurriedly complied by snatching the key ring off his belt, and unlocking the door. I scurried into the far corner until the jagged uneven stone wall cut into my back.

"You ... I've seen you...Let me see your face... You are the one from my dreams... Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength." The older man moved towards me, a glide more than a step, echoing regality. His hand hooked underneath my downturned chin, to get a better look at my face.

"W whats g going on?" I whispered, the mental question slipping out before I could stop them. I winced, expecting a blow, but only a smile came. He let his knees drop so that he was kneeling fully, and released my chin.

"Assassin's attacked, killed, my sons and I'm next. My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route. By some kind twist of fate the tunnel leading to this route leads through your cell." He rasped, after which he fell silent, leaning back as though to contemplate what he said. A sorrowful smile touching his lips.

"Why am I in jail?" I whispered, drawing closer to tears.

"That, child, I do not know, perhaps the Divines placed you here so that we may meet. As for what you've done, that matters not for that is not what you will be remembered for."

"W who are you?" I questioned, growing more daring and inquisitive with each passing second.

He paused, as if delivering well rehearsed lines, and drew himself back to his full height. " I am your emperor, Uriel Septim. By the grace of the Gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler. You are a citizen of Tamriel, and you, too, shall serve her in your own way." The lines resonated with distinction and power, any and all traces of the senility before were erased. My jaw dropped, and the emperor smiled, pushing it back into place. He than held out his hand as offering. Quietly, I accepted the hand, and stood up.

"Sir are you sure that this is safe?! She is..." The woman started, her hand travelling to her sword.

"She will do, what she will do," The emperor stated, cutting off the lady.

With that, she shot out her hand angrily, hitting one of the blocks randomly. I winced back into the corner as the alcove that held the makeshift bed swung inward, opening up a tunnel. The architecture of the tunnel differed vastly from the cell we all stood in, reminiscent more so to the ancient white marbled Alyied style rather than the more modern grey cut stone Imperial style. The Emperor and his three guards filed solemnly into the escape route..

The imperial guard turned his head slightly and mumbled, "guess its your lucky day prisoner." All I could do was stand there awe-struck. 5 seconds, 10, 20, 30 seconds elapsed after the guard left before my shock wore off, and I could move again. Worriedly, I glanced ofer to Valen's cell, where he had been only moments before, he was gone. Slowly, I edged towards the gaping maw of the tunnel. The temperature dramatically dropped as I stepped off of the dirt floor of the cell and into the smooth stone tunnel. I peeked around the corner, the passage went left, where it made a right hand turn. Silently as I could, I shuffled down the hall, barely daring to breathe. I turned the right hand corner as slowly as I possibly could, not daring to make noise. Around the corner, was a flight of stairs, and a left hand corner. 'Gods whoever created this damn tunnel sure loved corners' I thought furrowing my brow. I tiptoed down the stairs, but before I could step on the landing a bloodcurdling shriek pierced the heavy silence. It was a female shriek. Acting purely on instinct, I whirled around the corner and down the hall. It was too late. The girl from before was dead, her innards painting the wall and a set of stairs. I stood there frozen, shock washing over my body like freezing cold water. The emperor was pressed up against the wall to the right protected by the imperial. Blood was everywhere. Than the last thing I wanted to happen did, the assassin who had felled the lady caught a glimpse of me and charged. Time slowed down as my hand instinctively shot up, before he could make half his leap. Before I could even realize it. The word flew from my mouth. Ignis. A bright flash flowered out of my fingertips, fire, and caught the assassin in the face. He fell through the air, screaming a horrible, piercing, unnerving scream, clutching at his face. Like an animal being torn apart. His armour disappeared, giving me full view of his face. It was blackened and charred. Inhuman. Another wave of shock crashed into me. 'I couldn't save her. I was too late.'. My ears were ringing furiously now, and all of my thoughts were devoted to the still motionless corpse to the left of me . Five seconds, thats how long she spasmed on the ground. How long those unholy, tortured screams continued. Fuzzily, I was aware of someone yelling, of the silent tears that were rolling down my cheeks. I knew someone was talking to me, but I was still so affixed on the mutilated corpse beside me, that it didn't matter.

"Hey! Prisoner!" That shout was closer. Slowly, I lifted my head upward. The Imperial, the guard from before was standing in front of the body. "Hey! Im talking to you!" He demanded, shifting his feet impatiently.

"S she's dead." That was the only reply I could muster.

"Yes, I know it is upsetting but we need to keep going." He sighed walking towards me, kicking the assassin's body aside, like a rag doll. "Are you coming with us or not?"

I nodded my head weakly, and pushed myself forward. I forced myself not to look at the dead guard. The Emperor placed his hand on my shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. I wiped my face dry with the decently clean back of my hand. After a moment for the guards to asses the damage, we set off for the end of the anti chamber.

"Captain Renault?" The Emperor called out, still holding my shoulder.

"She's dead." Barus answered, picking up her strange sword ceremoniously. "Sir, all due respect, but are you sure it's wise to let the prisoner tag along? She could be working for them!"

"No. She is not one of them. She can help us. She must help us." The emperor countered, raising his hand in objection.

The imperial glared at Barus, effectively cutting off the snarky comment sure to escape his lips. "Yes, sire."

Barus whipped out his key ring once more, and unlocked a gate, than a heavy brown wooden door. On the other side, a medium sized chamber opened up. When we were all safely on the other side Barus handed me a torch and locked the door, so that no one could follow. Not even ten steps in, we were attacked again. The summoned armour glinting in the weak torchlight. This time would be different. This time none of the Blades would die. I bolted out in front of the guards. Pure adrenaline shot through my body, I planted my feet firm. An idiotic assassin bolted forward and I swung the torch like a club. A fiery death club. The swing carried such pure rage that it took me with it. The side of his face caved under the weight of the metal top of the torch, burning pitch oozing onto his broken skull. He too screamed a horrifying death knell. Before I could right myself again, Barus charged and beheaded the assassin that was about to bring down his daedric mace on my back. The nameless Imperial took down the last one, and once again we were safe.

"Good job Barus," The Imperial muttered, patting him on the back.

"Thanks Glenroy," he sighed, replacing his sword to his scabbard. So that was the imperial's name. "Are you all right sir?"

"Yes, yes I am fine" he straitened up sheathing a sword that I hadn't even noticed before. Inwardly I sighed, outwardly I was steel. The trip down the next few corridors was quiet and uneventful. The two Blades unanimously let me take point, as I had the only light source.

"Here, this is the door to the sanctuary," Glenroy stated, pulling out a key that apparently Barus didn't have. The door swung open into a large chamber, at the top was a platform, where we stepped out onto. The stairs led to a secondary space with an alcove in the left hand corner, and a door on the right wall. "Stay here," He commanded, a silent look silencing the stray protests forming on our lips.

"They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I've seen. How can I explain? Listen. You know of the Nine? How They guide our fates with an invisible hand?" The Emperor interrupted in a sad tone, after Barus had skittered out to the edge of the top platform.

I nodded silently, trying to decipher his hidden message.

" I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycles of the heavens. The skies are marked with numberless sparks, each a fire, and every one a sign. I know these stars well, and I wonder... which sign marked your birth? The signs I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come." He continued, uninterrupted by my silence.

"Rain's Hand 15th, so the Shadow," I replied. A soft smile drifted across his face, but as quickly as it came it drifted away, replaced by steel.

"All clear," Glenroy shouted, from the bottom of the stairs. I lead the emperor down the stairs, our grim determination illuminated by the soft torch light.

"Damn it! Locked! Barred from the other side!" Barus swore kicking the gate, which resulted in a loud crash.

"There seems to be another passage over to the left," Glenroy stated gesturing to the alcove I had noticed before.

"Yea, I suppose that could work," Barus sighed drawing his sword. We all headed off to that passage only to find out it was a dead end. "Damn it!"

"Protect the emperor with your life, we've been had." Barus swore running out to take out the assassins.

"My guards are strong and true, but even the might of the Blades cannot stand against the Power that rises to destroy us. The Prince of Destruction awakes, born anew in blood and fire. These cutthroats are but his mortal pawns. Take my Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. I have a secret son, and Jauffre alone knows where to find him. Find the last of my blood, and close shut the marble jaws of Oblivion." The words rang out echoing in the corners of my mind. The emperor had spoken breaking the heavy impeding silence. The ringing in my ears returned, as I realized, he had slipped the amulet into the pants pocket of my tattered clothes.

"N no, you can't die, I I won't let you!" I shrieked hysterically, tugging on the hem of my shirt.

"With all my heart...farewell." He whispered stepping back, away from me. As if on some sick cue, the wall opened up behind me and I fell over paralyzed. My head tilted sideways and, unable to blink, I saw the emperors lifeless body hit the ground in front of me. I felt myself snapping. Within that second the paralysis wore off and I staggered back up to my feet. Brandishing the lit torch wildly, I ran toward the assassin. The first swing took out his knee, the second swing took out his sword arm. The torch splintered apart from the force of the many impacts, so I improvised. I picked up the largest sharpest splinter I could and I stabbed wildly. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Thats when the screaming stopped. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Thats when his innards splattered 21, 22, 23, 24. Thats when his eye oozed out, mixing with the burning pitch. 30, 31, 32, 33. Thats when someone dragged me off of the still corpse kicking and screaming.

"Hey, shh it's all right, shhh." Glenroy whispered, holding me comfortingly. Trying to sooth my hysterical laugh/crying. I took almost a minute but he managed to snap me out of it.

"Where is the Amulet? It's not..." Barus whispered, fighting back his own tears.

"H he... It's..." My voice was still sticking in my throat as I pulled it out of my pocket. I braced myself for the worst, but all that came was a weak smile, "he asked me to take... It to.. Jauffre."

"Strange, he saw something in you, he trusted you," Barus whispered, handing me a key, "that key will open up the sewers, so you can get out. There's rats and goblins but neither should give you a problem from what I've seen. I nodded silently, getting back up from the floor.

"Here, take this. Captain Renault doesn't need it anymore," Glenroy choked, handing me a steel short sword.

"Than thank you,"I choked the sentence out, as I climbed over the passage that had opened up. I shuffled down the hall and unlicked the grate. respectfully, I placed the key down beside the grate and climbed down into the sewers. The trip through the sewers was quick only two passage ways long. At the end of it all was a large round gate. I ran to it and pulled it open. Carefully I replaced the gate, and stepped into the outside world. The night sky shone beautifully each star a diamond. I tore my eyes off the sky, and found the ground was even more gorgeous. A crystalline lake reached out to a far shore, an Aylied ruin stood proudly on the shore, lit up with a roaring bond fire. I took a few steps forward into the grass. A dock sat, growing out of the ground in front of me. A boat, probably meant for the emperor sat anchored to shore. The fire looked amazing, and so warm, it pushed me to brave the icy water. Slowly, I padded to the lake shore. Illuminated by the full moon, I could see my reflection on the surface. I looked like a mad woman, my green eyes were still wide open, my black hair hung limply around my face making my skin appear far paler. But worst of all, was the blood, it stained my hands, arms, face, clothes, everything. I decided I had to take a bath. I belted the short sword that I still had in my hands around my waist. I put my toe in, testing the water. It was cool but not unbearably so. Quickly, I plunged my self in, up to my chest. An involuntary gasp of shock snuck out at the cold. 'No I can do it!' I thought, paddling out further. By the halfway point, my fingers were numb with cold. By the end I was just glad to pull my self out of the water. That fire looked so warm and inviting. Halfway to the fire I was met by a lone bandit

"Little far from home eh?" She taunted in a sickening sing song voice. "How about I help you eh?" She drew the dagger sitting at her hip and strode closer.

"N no thanks." I muttered drawing my own weapon. She charged me, waiving the dagger about haphazardly. I managed to doge the first blow, and block the second. I parried, bringing my sword up as if to smash it down. The split second before our blades could contact, I feinted and spun, sending the side of the blade into her head. She fell, limp like a broken toy, silent. I choked back the disgust, and flipped through her pack. A map, provisions and a change of clothes were what the spoils yielded. I allowed my self a small smile of satisfaction. I turned back to the body and retrieved the short sword. It slid out of the bone easily, and liberally coated in thick red blood. Out of respect, I slid her eyelids shut and moved her body to the half wall sticking out of the ground covering her with wild flowers. A fitting burial. The cold sent me skittering back to the camp. A tent perched next to the roaring fire. A food barrel, table, and beaten up stool sat on the side closest to me. I hid myself behind the tent to change my clothes. I peeled the wet prison uniform off, and exchanged it for a warm tan skirt, and a simple plaid shirt with a dark brown vest. The warmth was overwhelming, and the stress of the day overtook me, I curled up onto the bed roll and fell into a fitful sleep, fatigue winning the battle.

A/N: Wow. I'm finally finished! I hope u like. I will be working on the next chapter ASAP so R&R :)


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